Meet Reviva
Reviva® leafy forage rape
The summer rape which delivers big yields of very leafy, high ME forage. It grows a lot of stock well, making it a summer Reviva!
Breeding
Reviva is the first release from Barenbrug New Zealand’s dedicated forage brassica programme. It’s been over 15 years in the making, with a clear goal of developing
a cultivar that would deliver reliable yield, multiple grazings, and high animal performance on NZ farms.Elite parent plants were selected under tough conditions for their vigour, growth, and leafiness along with disease and pest tolerance.
High Yield
Reviva has been trialled over the past five years, and has performed very well, growing consistently high DM yield. It shows strong regrowth, but as with all rapes the second cut yields varying greatly depending on the weather.
Leafy
Reviva is very leafy. This makes it easier for lambs in particular to graze it well. This photo was taken as rapes were starting to mature (see purple tinge). Some older rapes - or those crossed with kale - elongate, producing large stems. In testing Reviva has shown a very high proportion of leaf, averaging around 48% at first grazing.
Easier Sow Back
Higher utilisation and less stem make it easier to cultivate or direct-drill Reviva paddocks for the following pasture or crop.
Early Maturity
Reviva typically matures in 70-90 days. This will vary depending on conditions.
Great Quality
Feed tests show Reviva holds quality well for 90 days (see graph below). We have graphed the actual lab results we received, as this shows how testing can overestimate ME. Rape has a maximum quality of around 12.5 MJ ME/kgDM.
What Farmers Have Said
“I planted a paddock of it right next to our usual rape. The ducks wouldn’t touch it and I did worry that meant the lambs wouldn’t eat it either! But they did. We grazed it twice with lambs and then direct drilled oats into it to carry through winter as bulk feed for cattle. From what I’ve seen, we would grow it again.” Guido Cousins, Manawatu.
“It went gangbusters, grew as high as the fence. I was a bit worried the lambs wouldn’t get through it because the stems might have got woody, but they chewed the stem and the leaf right down.” Matt McSkimming, Maniototo
Using Reviva
Now Available
Spring Product Brochure 2026
Discover the best of spring pasture and crop options in our 2026 Spring Product Brochure.
This season’s guide highlights how you can get many happy returns from our top‑performing perennial and hybrid ryegrasses, clovers, plantain and spring crop solutions — all independently tested, certified, and backed by Barenbrug’s expert team, so you can plan and grow with confidence.
Click here to view the Spring Product Brochure 2026.
